FAMILY FOCUS answered my call within 24 hours and was very receptive to meeting with us. They were very proactive with helping us find a child. Although like most people we expected to get a baby, our 'first bundle of joy' arrived in just 3 months and turned out to weigh 125 pounds and was 13 years old! He presented us (and still does) with many challenges, but the staff of the agency was always ready to listen, and guide and support us. Within a year, we adopted another son, age 8 who also was challenging, but in a different way. Again the agency stood by us with unwavering love and support. A year later we were called about a baby girl. She was multiply handicapped. We always joke that she is our reward for the two boys. She is a joy. The boys are all grown up now, 28 and almost 23 and our daughter is now age 13. The younger boy got married in November and we are all very close. We are not your 'typical' all American family, but we are a family in every sense of the word. Thanks to our friends at FFAS.

We are an experienced adoptive family who have worked with several agencies in our adoption journey. Working with Family Focus was a rewarding experience. We found each and everyone to be real people who, being adoptive parents themselves, fully understand the feelings and concerns of prospective adoptive parents. They became our family too.

I especially want to thank our social worker, who worked closely with us, before, during and after our daughter's placement. Her dedication in working with us has made our experience a memorable one. She is a true professional and you can tell that she enjoys her work, hence, making it a pleasure to work with her. We view her as more than a social worker; we view her as our friend.

My husband and I were strongly affected by the whole Family Focus adoption training. You gave us powerful insights into the processes at work in adoption and left us with new comprehension and capabilities. We feel that the Family Focus team revealed the underpinnings of what makes adoption work and made it a part of us. We have found ourselves thinking a lot about the transition process, and the wisdom and new foundations achieved by Family Focus' clear structuring of that time. The transition process has real relevance in our lives and in the world, in overcoming obstacles and in strengthening the desire for commitment. We are proud to be associated with and recommend Family Focus for adoptions.

Your agency is so unique... professionals with a wonderful feeling of 'home,' so different from other (agencies) I have experienced in the past. You make us feel at ease and comfortable. Everyone is special...and I'm not just saying that. Other agencies have a lot to learn from you and Family Focus.

Thank you for spending so much time with me. I know you are busy, but I've been calling around, and nobody has been willing to answer my questions. I just got the feeling they wanted to get me off the phone as quickly as possible. You really made me feel like I was important enough to care.

(Another agency) made my partner and me feel like we would never be able to adopt because we are gay, or at least that they were not interested in working with us. You said that it made no difference to you, and then you proved it. And here we are with our child because of you. Bless you, and keep doing what you are doing.

We didn't know where we were headed before we came to FAMILY FOCUS. You led us through the process and helped us make some hard decisions, and it opened up a whole world to us. We would not have our son today if it were not for you. Thank you so much!

About our training...

Before I went to my first meeting at Family Focus I had heard the agency was very slow-moving and that adopting 'the Family Focus way' was excruciatingly drawn-out and took 'forever.' But now that my adoption of my wonderful son is final and legal, about a year and a half after he moved in, I can say with total confidence that the process took exactly the ideal length of time. It is a slow process, as it should be! My son needed every bit of that time to realize deep down that this was a permanent change for him (and for me), that it was one of the most serious events of his entire life (and mine), and that no one was interested in rushing into it, or rushing him. He decided, at every step, to move forward without any pressure. It was such a crucial aspect of the adoption, as I see it, that he was so empowered and taken so seriously by everyone at Family Focus. I can't imagine a better adoption process than the Family Focus way. Not a single important mistake was made at any point by anyone at Family Focus because the entire process is so well thought out, and the staff is so well trained and professional. So thank you for your help. My son and I will be forever grateful to you, and we'll never forget the work you've done for us.

I loved this training and would come back again.

Excellent presentation - practical and relevant.

I am at a loss for suggesting improvements - will use much of the info in our program.

Eye-opening; dynamite trainer.

Presenter shot straight from the hip.

Presenter was very interesting, knowledgeable, and entertaining.

A breath of fresh air - a new way of looking at scenarios we deal with every day.

The presentation on society's view of adoption was a fresh perspective and very well done.

Gets one thinking.

Many of my experiences as a foster parent have been put into context!

The training gave practical solutions to situations with kids. Thank you.

This has been an excellent training - valuable because it reflects what I am going through.

This training made me well informed. I was laboring under some misconceptions before.

This training is almost perfect. Keep teaching. Understanding is greatly needed.

Excellent training. Caseworkers could use it.

I want to thank all of you at Family Focus for everything you did to help Tom become part of a family. Every step of the way, your support and professionalism helped Steve and Tom become father and son. It was emotional for me to see the end of a long journey from a small child who was so angry he started fires to a fine young man who knows he is loved and accepted in the world. So give everyone in your agency a round of applause from me and a hug for the wonderful work you do everyday for children. - Tom's County Worker